Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Beneath the Pallid Moon (Bonus Chapter)
Chapter 25: Beneath the Pallid Moon (Bonus Chapter)
Yato Uchiha tried out a variety of carrying positions before concluding that when it came to fleeing with someone, a piggyback ride was definitely the most practical.
Although Harribel was tall and slender, making her easy to carry in his arms or over his shoulder, she had not yet become an "Arrancar." Her body still bore the glaring traits of a Menos Grande—for instance, everything below her right elbow was a massive broadsword, wide enough to act as a shield!
Given this physical trait, Yato truly had no choice but to carry her on his back.
Under the pallid, hook-like crescent moon, the two swiftly left the cave entrance. In the distance, the Spiritual Pressures of Harribel’s three subordinates flared violently. They were giving it their all to hold off the enemy, buying precious escape time for the master they served.
"I’m not familiar with this place," Yato said, glancing at the blonde hair brushing against his cheek. It tickled his skin.
"Which direction should we head?"
"Anywhere, as long as it’s away from the moon," Harribel’s voice was still incredibly weak.
"Directly below it is Las Noches. All the strong in Hueco Mundo gather there."
"Alright, I’ll just improvise."
A single tomoe materialized in Yato’s eyes. With his current level of Spiritual Pressure, maintaining this state wouldn’t drain him too much.
He scanned his surroundings, picked a direction, and broke into a mad dash with Harribel on his back.
The monotonous desert scenery blurred past them. With the aid of the Sharingan, Yato’s bodily control elevated to a new level. His feet bounded across the sand without leaving a single footprint.
Time slipped away rapidly. Yato was fully immersed in their high-speed escape until he felt a warm liquid trickling down his back. Only then did he slowly come to a halt.
Behind him, Harribel was once again drenched in blood.
She was already suffering from grievous wounds. The bones in her body were practically pulverized, requiring her to lay flat and rest—otherwise, Mila Rose and the others wouldn’t have kept her lying down to begin with.
But now, being jostled around on Yato’s back during their escape, her injuries could no longer be suppressed. Blood constantly seeped through her skin, leaving her in a truly miserable state.
"...You could have at least said something, Big Sis Harribel."
"It would only hinder you."
"Tsk. You Vasto Lordes are way too stubborn."
Yato shook his head. He found a concealed depression beneath a sand dune and gently set the blonde woman down.
"I need to heal you first." Yato placed his hands over Harribel’s abdomen and pressed down gently.
"I’ll tell you this upfront: my grades in Kaido are pretty terrible. The treatment might come with a little bit of pain, so just bear with it."
"Ngh..."
Harribel’s fingers twitched violently, instinctively gripping Yato’s shoulders. The excruciating pain forced a low groan from her lips, causing her slender waist to arch upward.
—If it weren’t for the fact that she actually felt her condition improving slightly, she would have assumed Yato was blasting offensive Kido directly into her body.
"You... you..." Harribel panted heavily.
"You call this a ’little bit’ of pain?"
"Uh, judging by your reaction, it does look like it hurts a bit," Yato said, looking rather embarrassed.
"No wonder the Kaido instructor gave me the lowest possible score. I was wondering why a muscular guy like him was reduced to tears after I healed him... But don’t worry, the results are guaranteed."
As the boy spoke, he rummaged through his pack and pulled out a small item.
"Want a piece of candy? All living creatures like sweet things." He coaxed her as if soothing a child.
"Eat it, and it won’t hurt anymore."
"...Hand it over."
Harribel glared at Yato with her jade eyes, feeling that this young Soul Reaper was truly a bizarre creature.
The Vasto Lorde Menos tilted her head, managing to eat the piece of candy through whatever method her mask allowed.
The Kaido treatment continued, keeping a steady stream of pain layered over Harribel. Barely able to endure it, she started a conversation with Yato to distract herself.
"Soul Reaper, your eyes are very unique."
"You mean these?" Yato chuckled, flashing his Sharingan.
"You’ve got a good eye. The red color is definitely pretty, and the tomoe inside even spin around the pupil."
"No. I am referring to your original eyes."
"Huh?"
"Those pitch-black eyes before you released your Shikai," Harribel’s voice was very soft.
"They are very resolute, completely devoid of fear. It looks as if you have no one you care about, yet simultaneously, as if you care about everything. You are quite unlike any of the Soul Reapers I have encountered before."
Yato Uchiha paused slightly.
"Are you implying my eyes look like a Hollow’s?"
"The vast majority of Hollows are extreme and insane. You are very rational."
"Rational enough to heal a Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande, huh? If word of this ever leaked to the Seireitei, I’d be dragged to the Sokyoku and executed."
"If that day truly comes, I will go save you."
"We’re getting a bit off-topic here, Big Sis Harribel. Besides, the Gotei 13 has a massive roster of masters who possess Bankai. You’ve heard of Captain-Commander Yamamoto, haven’t you? That old man is ridiculously overpowered. Ryujin Jakka would burn you to ash."
"That is fine, too."
The moonlight washed over Harribel’s face. Her expression was faint, as if stating the most ordinary of facts.
"We will die together."
Yato opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.
He felt this entire trip to Hueco Mundo was utterly baffling. Not only had he saved Harribel and fled with her on his back, but he had also received a vow to die together from this Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande.
—Tier Harribel’s dedication to the concept of ’Sacrifice’ truly ran deep.
Perhaps to her, this kind of fierce, reckless devotion was the only way to fill the ’hole’ in her chest?
By now, Harribel had adapted to the pain of the Kaido treatment. She let go of Yato’s shoulders and gazed silently at the pallid moon.
A quiet night over the white sands, with a crescent moon hanging high in the sky.
The black-haired Soul Reaper and the blonde Hollow sat facing each other in silence, neither able to guess the thoughts running through the other’s mind.
Yet, both Yato and Harribel felt that the current atmosphere wasn’t bad at all.
At the very least, in this moment, a gentle breeze brushed past them, carrying neither blistering heat nor freezing cold.
"Ahem, well..." After a long while, Yato cleared his throat and lifted his hands.
"Treatment’s finished. This is the best I can do. How do you feel?"
Harribel remained aloof and indifferent. Hearing his words, she merely gave a slight nod.
Then, supporting her body with her free hand and resting her broadsword-arm on the ground, she unsteadily rose to her feet.
"I can move around a little. Aside from the agonizing side effects, your proficiency with Kaido is indeed very high."
"That’s good." Yato let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a bit hopeful.
"How much of your combat power have you recovered?"
Harribel narrowed her eyes, carefully assessing the feedback from her muscles and nerves.
"Less than five percent. But handling an ordinary Adjuchas won’t be a problem."
Yato Uchiha burst into laughter. His laugh sounded a bit wicked, but given his exceptionally striking features, Harribel didn’t find it annoying in the slightest.
"Perfect timing. I was just thinking that if the treatment didn’t work out, we’d have to keep running."
"Hmph... So, will you hide? Or are we doing this together?"
"Let’s do it together." Yato closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, the three tomoe in his crimson eyes were spinning madly.
"When it comes to playing a support role from the sidelines, my abilities are second to none."
"Don’t drag me down, Soul Reaper."
"You should be a bit more polite to the guy who just saved your life, Hollow."
The two bickered bizarrely for a moment, then simultaneously turned their gazes into the distance.
Plumes of thick smoke were already rising from the distant desert. Multiple Spiritual Pressures were converging and overlapping there, exuding an undisguised malice.
The pursuers had arrived.
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